Livingston interim manager David Martindale has insisted his return to the dugout is strictly temporary. However, he admits he does “miss coaching” as he prepares his side for Friday evening’s trip to Cappielow.

The Lions confirmed the dismissal of manager Glenn Whelan after just nine games on Sunday, following a disappointing Championship start featuring two wins and three defeats.

Martindale, who spent six years as manager before stepping into a sporting director role in January, stepped back into the dugout to give the board breathing room in their search for a successor.

“I will step in as long as needed, but this isn’t something I’m looking to do in the long term, I’ve made that crystal clear,” Martindale said.

“That ship’s sailed. I miss coaching, but long-term, I think we need to be looking elsewhere rather than Davie Martindale.

“It probably buys us a wee bit of time to try and bring someone in so there’s no panic or immediate knee-jerk reaction.”

Addressing the decision behind the early managerial change, Martindale highlighted the pressure and high expectations surrounding the club’s promotion push.

“The expectation from ownership is that they want to win this league, and we’re all well aware that the start hasn’t been good enough,” he explained.

“We were pretty keen to try and get to at least matchday nine, where everyone has played each other once, and then reassess. S

“Sitting fifth in the league after losing three out of five games isn’t where we want to be. Dropping points against part-time teams, who have been magnificent to be fair, probably added a wee bit of fuel to the fire as well.”

As the club begins its recruitment process, Martindale revealed that Livingston plan to “cast the net a wee bit wider” to find their next head coach.

“We have a really strong knowledge base when it comes to UK football,” Martindale added.

“You could ask me about almost any domestic league, and I can give you information or make a quick phone call.

“European football is a little bit different, though. We need to bring in expertise and experience in different markets compared to the ones we’ve traditionally looked at.”

Livingston face bottom side Greenock Morton on Friday evening, looking to break a two match winless run, and reignite their Championship campaign.